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ENGR. H. B. NO. 3344 Page 1
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ENGROSSED HOUSE
BILL NO. 3344 By: Williams and Archer of the
House
and
Bullard of the Senate
[ Foster care – requirements – foster parents –
penalties – false or fraudulent – application or
information – codification - effective date ]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-7-111.1 of Title 10A, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. Persons applying to be foster parents shall:
1. Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age; provided, however,
that persons who are potential kinship foster parents shall be at
least eighteen (18) years of age;
2. Reside lawfully in the United States;
3. Have healthy relationships, whether married, single,
separated, or divorced. Unhealthy relationships include, but shall
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not be limited to, a relationship with an abusive partner or a
person with a history of violence;
4. Have the ability to manage personal and household financial
needs without relying on the foster care maintenance payment;
5. Earn at least one hundred one percent (101%) of the Federal
Poverty Level for the calendar year for the prospective household
size if a child or children were placed in the household;
6. Provide verification that the primary caregiver of the
prospective child or children to be placed is in sufficiently good
physical and mental health to provide for the individual needs of
each child;
7. Provide a minimum of two (2) letters of recommendation from
respected and prominent individuals within the prospective foster
parent's or parents' community. Such persons may include, but shall
not be limited to, ministers, priests, and teachers as defined in
Section 1-116 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
8. Maintain a home that is adequately furnished and decorated,
maintained to a good standard of cleanliness and hygiene, free from
any foul or offensive odor, and in good order throughout;
9. Fulfill the Department of Human Services policy on
background investigations for all household members who are thirteen
(13) years of age and older;
10. Have no history of confirmed child abuse, neglect or sexual
abuse;
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11. Have a working vehicle;
12. Be able to provide appropriate sleeping arrangements for
each child placed;
13. Complete all required training in a timely manner;
14. Comply with the Department's rules on discipline;
15. Ensure that outdoor spaces which are part of the premises
are safe, secure, and well-maintained; and
16. Demonstrate the basic competencies to:
a. protect and nurture children who have been abused,
emotionally maltreated, or neglected,
b. meet the medical and developmental needs of the
children,
c. support relationships between children and their
parents, siblings, and kin, as specified by the
Department of Human Services,
d. connect children to safe, nurturing relationships,
e. collaborate with the Department as a team member,
f. not smoke in the home when a child is placed in the
home,
g. not smoke in the automobile when transporting a child
placed in the home,
h. have extended family or friends to provide support and
child care other than, or in addition to, licensed
child care paid by the Department,
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i. share parenting of the child with the parents, who may
have different values and lifestyles,
j. be willing to actively mentor the parent to help
improve the parent's ability to safely care for the
child, and
k. be willing to accept placement of siblings, if it is
appropriate for siblings to be placed together.
B. Any person who willfully makes a false or fraudulent
application or who willfully provides any false or fraudulent
information in order to meet the requirements of subsection A of
this section, or any person who willfully aids or abets another in
making such false or fraudulent application or who willfully aids or
abets another in providing any false or fraudulent information in
order to assist such person in meeting the requirements of
subsection A of this section, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor punishable by a fine not less than Five Hundred Dollars
($500.00) nor more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) and shall
be disqualified from becoming a foster parent.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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Passed the House of Representatives the 9th day of March, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the Senate